ABSTRACT
The advent of the African Union—AU—can be described as an event of great magnitude in the international evolution of the continent. In 1999, the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity issued a Declaration—The Sirte Declaration—calling for the establishment of an African Union, with a view, inter alia, to accelerating the process of integration in the continent to enable it to play its rightful role in the global economy while addressing multifaceted social, economic and political problems as they are by certain negative aspects of globalization. The main objectives of the African Union are: to achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa; to defend sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States; to accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent; to promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples; and to promote peace, security, and stability in Africa.
